April 1, 1981, Forty Years Ago: Reagan Recovering

US President Ronald Reagan shot in the chest during an assassination attempt brushed his teeth and signed a legislative bill in his hospital bed as he made what his doctors called, “a good recovery”. The 70-year old president was hit by at least one of six bullets fired by a lone gunman as he was about to enter his limousine after addressing a trade union group. The bill he signed locked scheduled increases in price support for dairy farmers. It was the first part of his programme of sweeping tax and budget cuts to go through Congress. The suspect in the shooting John Warnock Hinley Jr will go through psychiatric test on whether he is competent to stand trial.

Baroda Violence

One person was injured when the police fired eight rounds at three places to quell the violence in Baroda in the wake of the renewed anti-reservation stir. Despite the imposition of curfew in some parts of the city, mob violence and attacks on police patrols continued leading to police firing in curfew bound Wadi, Lehripura and Gendigate areas. The curfew will be relaxed for two hours on April 1.

Congress Protest

The West Bengal Congress (I) has given a call for a bandh on April 3 to protest against the police firing on peaceful demonstrators. The party has also decided to launch a protest movement throughout West Bengal. Congress (I) workers will hold protest demonstrations in front of each BDO, SDO and DM office in the state.

Support For Africa

India has reiterated its continued support to the African peoples’ war against oppression and apartheid. During her talks with the visiting Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi made a particular reference to the situation in Namibia.